especially the last, are much in his favour: his countenance is vivid and expressive-his voice clear and tolerably harmonious, though nasal; and his action generally easy and appropriate. I know no man at present at the bar who excels him in the use of his arms; yet, like most persons in the habit of speaking at a table, he is too apt to visit it with severe inflictions. In externals, he leaves little to be desired.*

* The subject of the above article has died during its progress through the press, the second time. The author did not think it necessary to withdraw it from the origi nal collection.

MR. GURNEY.

It is my way to consider men as they stand in merit, not according to their fortune or figure.-Tatler, No. 34.

THE observation is considerably older than the time of Mandeville, author of the Fable of the Bees, that talents and attainments rather below than above mediocrity, are much more useful to a man, who wishes to thrive and grow rich in society, than abilities and knowledge of the highest order: this is less paradoxical, and consequently more intelligible at first sight, than many other positions in that most clever of all clever books, where we are in every page startled by apparent absurdities and contradictions so ingeniously reconciled, that whereas in the outset we laughed at the author, in the end we pity ourselves. The remark above quoted is true in every si

tuation of life. Genius is a most unsaleable commodity, while mediocrity is the real philosopher's stone. Looking round among our connexions and acquaintances, we shall be sure to find those best off in the world, not who have the most, but who have the least genius, and who, perhaps, without quickness enough to be aware of the deficiency, unconsciously make up for it in some other way, being gifted with qualities of a much more profitable kind: if they are dull, they are the more fit for drudges; and as society is at present constituted, much more is to be accomplished by patient perseverance in old courses, than by any of the highest and luckiest hits of inventive talent. Steele observes, "that it is the misfortune of persons of great genius to have their faculties dissipated by attention to too many things at once;" they are "every thing by fits and nothing long;" they are the schemers and projectors of the world, who put forth plans of improvement, which are ridiculed, but which when carried into execution by mechanical industry, become the delight and glory of mankind.

Of course the pursuits of commerce call into action but few of the better qualities of our nature: men of genius will seldom condescend to engage their faculties in low barter. and petty traffic; but some portion of talent is necessary, and we can most of us recollect instances of merchants and tradesmen, who, having gradually acquired wealth, afterwards retired into the country to enjoy their gains, as far as such men are capable of such enjoyments: yet it will almost invariably be found, that those who have the finest country houses and the gayest equipages, are those who have shewn even less talent and possess less general information than their rivals in trade. The same may be said of the arts: in painting, for example, a man who can produce smooth flattering portraits, but just resembling the originals, and so like each other as to be destitute of all distinguishing character, is knighted by Princes, visited by nobles, cheri des grands, aimé des belles, and dispatched to a Congress of assembled Potentates; while a historical painter, who deals with the imagination as well as the mechanism of his art,

can neither find purchasers for his pictures, nor patronage for himself. It applies no less to what are called the liberal professions. Divines who fatten upon lucrative livings (not referring here to honours but to emoluments) are the "round oily men of God," who, with very moderate gifts of intellect, slide into the good things of this world, never presenting any points of opposition. Physicians of abilities and enterprise above the ordinary level, incur the charge of being quacksalvers and empirics, while those who only plod in the steps of their predecessors, without attempting any improvement in a science, so obviously in its infancy, are esteemed most sagacious and infallible.

Although in the law it has more frequently happened, from various causes to which on former occasions reference has been made, that men of first-rate abilities have forced their way forward in spite of all the resistance of prejudice and envy, and have now and then secured ample fortunes, yet even here mediocrity has its advantages, and those exclusive,